Illuminated torpedo.



A FERNANDEZ.

ILLUMINATED TOHPEDU.

APPLICATION mimszr'r. 20, i9l6.

Patented July 10, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ALPKONSE FERNANDEZ, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

L MINATE TOEPEDO.

Swansea-1p eeeme. Patented-Jew 1o,1'e1'1.

A imationmease tembmio,191a: smsine amssrm fl '0 all whom/it may concern: Be It known-that-I, A-nri-mNsn FERNANDEZ, t

'a subject of- Zthe: King ofi -Spain,-. residing at 5- the city -of hvashingwn in the iDistrictqof;

Columhia have i invented? -=certain new, and; useful Improvements 1 1n Illuminated-Tor pedoes; and I do declare the following tube a f11ll, clear,' andEexacttdescription of the invention, such as will enable others iskilled- I in th art to which it appertains' -to make and-use the samem My inventions-aims to L 'ravid siin ili. meuns-whereby a bodyiof iwnter may be illuminated ,anydirection .-from gaship withoutdisclosin the location of the. latter, I

and tOthiSfind; amount-a; Searchlight tonn torpedo and provide means ioriill uminating :ithe :light after the-torpedo'qhes traveled '28,; distance -fromthe: ship irom which it 1 launched. By .the usewfthe. improved do:

vice,n-therefore,-: vessels; which dire i111 darkness: at nightiin timeof wer-r-meysend out Sue and=thus :the kitten-will be illuminated sothatthepilot of the vessel will .be able to see =whethemor; not'hostiie uraft are in his the invention ii'esides inwertain .novel :icatlu'esof KEOIlStI'iIcMOD and in. umque combinapaths-wz -r- With the foregoing general object m VIEW; a

. tionsw-of :partsnto be hereinafter cfullyndle "scribed and claimed, ithBf descriptive matter being supplemented-airy i the accompanying.

drawing-which constitutese partof this {1P1 plicutionnnd 'in-fvhich:- v

Figure L is a side elevation, partly-1n see with -=the invention, showingthe position of parts when the device is first lapnched;

Fig. 2 is a similnnview.v showing. the nanner inai'hichthe switch of thesearchli'ght tion of-a torpedo constructed in accordance V closed when the torpedo hastmvleda' dis tanoe; -from the point at ,which Iit was launched;

-Fig's.:3 and tionson theplanesfl indicated by the l nes 3+3 and Hui Fig.1; 1 i

Fig..,5,. i s azlongitndinalsection on the planeeof vthc\line-55 of Fig. 3, showing the automatically projected center-boar which is preferably used: on the improved for edo.

n the drawi ngs the niuneral- 1 designetes 4 are .verticaL transverse, s ccl a torpedo of the usual orany preferred con t.rnction and in some cases it may carry exglongitudinal ,vane s g at the ream-end the e lfi t vt ip. 0

light 5 havin as circuit, thecu .teri sTWithiii 'an inclined pa nt ng n 1 assist in releasing th' 'tiigger, be described.",,

. soneorr orehofr-theimprovedtorpedoes in the directioniofthe icoursc' -they. wish to pur i na1lyofthe torpeilo body ssh T shaft 16 operated .w plo e ut S m-i u isrp 'i i x M 9. Li inmate, a. course the ;letter.{will fpreferebly i be omitted. ,The i usigel engine not Show 8 f mounted lnthefltprpcd I i o. l and is set in opnv the well f knownc r EItItlOIL automat cally .inaniierfl hen the im-ind sls'lailnched; sai 1 gi e ing weaselme ee? i'a which are disposed between the rearendslof. i

dev ce v L d 8 si imi sl a t-t ii nof mall sion of sprin here. shown 1 in thefoiin f.

ted ,hy 'njehns of ahinge 12' pedo, Theineniherlll'pi'e pair of depending 'finge on opposite sides of alloli' c 18 andnsaid member ism s rby-ided, a p upperendf yith e la 'lly tending n 19,}this finger bein'g' 'adaptedltofzeiigegethe cam 10 when rotatioil of'screwalifhiislsh ift s ed the control inemhei -i amount (see Fig. 2). Wli trigger 9 is relea l'sedyrrid mediiitely" closes tliekwl e v the 1' hes; By'thejtinifihe ngge I leaseif'thefcontrolnienibeif,H 5' 106 threads of the screw lijqntg' th H front end 20 thereof 'sojthat contin'aedrbte ff tion of the screw as 'the m1: ed-=tnu'-1-s. nrits; course will p'rodnce no inji rioliseflectsi} In order to efiectivelyf'holdthe' toipedo to its course even thoughfit lnayiit ti'n'ies'ridel the crests of "lerge weiveqan improved means By providing the center-board 21, the. torpedo will be at all times held to its course,

it having been found by experience that vanes suchas 4 on the rear end of the torpedo are not at all times effective since when the torpedo is riding the crests of waves, the entire rear end thereof is often entirely out of the water, thus permitting the entire device to turn and lose its course.

The center-board 21, however, will at all times travel through the water and will thusreliably prevent the torpedo from changing its course.

7 The improved device constructed as or substantially as shown and described may be used in a number of ways as occasion may demand. For instance, it may be directed from a ship at night in the manner heretofore suggested or if the commander of the vessel wishes to follow a certain course for a period of time he may well connect one end of a cable. say half a mile long to the torpedo and niay anchor the. other end of said cable to his vessel. Thus after the time switch con'ipletes the circuit of the searchlight, the course will be effectively lighted up but the source of light will be at such a point as to prevent hostile craft from ascertaining the location of the vessel under way. This arrangement is also rather advantageous since the torpedo may be re.-

trieved at any time should itbe found expedient. Also, should occasion demand, the cable may be cut so that the torpedo will travel faster than the vessel in order to decoy any enemy shipswhich may be investigating the traveling light.

The distance which the torpedo is permitted to travel before illumination of the headlight may be regulated by adjusting the control member 11. on the screw 14 before the torpedo is launched, this being permitted by the hinge 12 and set screw 12-5, the latter being accessible through a door such as that indicated at 26 in .Fig. 3. It will be understood that as the member 11 is ad justed toward the trigger 9., the length of.

the period during which the-light 5 is not illuminated Will be increased whereas this period will be increased when the control 'inemhcr is adjusted in the opposite direction.

In the drawing, certain specilic details have been shown and the samehave been herein referred to but it is to be understood that the present showing and description are for illustrative purposes only and that within the scope of the. invention as claimed, numerous changes may be made.'

I claim:

1. A non-iinflammable torpedo having thereon a searchlight, and means for automatically illmninatingsaid light when the. torpedo has traveled a distance from the point at which it was launched.

2. A torpedo having thereon an electric scarchlight, a switch for completing the circuit of said light, means for closing said switch, a trigger for holding said switch open against the action of the closing means. and means for releasing said trigger when the torpedo has traveled a distance from the point at which it was launched.

3. A torpedo having thereon an electric searehlight, a switch for completing'the circult of said light, means for closing said switch. a trigger for holding said switch open against the action of the closing means, a control member for tripping the trigger,

and a screw for moving said member from inoperative to operative position as the torpedo travels on its course.

4. torpedo having thereon an electric searchlight, a switch for completing the circuit of said light, a spring for closing said switch, a trigger for holding the switch open against the tension of said spring, said trigger having a releasing-(aim, a control member having means to engage said cum to r lease tlre trigger, and a screw for moving said coiitrol member from inoperative to operative position as the torpedo travels on its course.

A torpedo havingin its pointed front end a substantially parabolic reflector whose front'side is closed by a lens, an electric 5 light in said reflector, a source of electricity in said torpedo, and a time switch in circuit with said light and source for illuminating the former when the torpedo has traveled a distance from the launching point.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand iirthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALPHONSE FERNANDEZ. Witnesses:

L. O. HILTON, J. A. Gamsnarmn. 

